InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Think happy thoughts"

barty (squatter) wrote in asphodel,
@ 2008-05-22 01:30:00

I tried to stop smoking by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself.
Who: Daisy Hookerum & Barty Crouch, Jr.
What: Infuriation!
When: Dusk; 22 May, '79
Where: Hogwarts Grounds
Rating: TBD

Seeing as Barty didn't do homework, his evenings were generally very free. He usually spent the hours in the dark, dank corners of the Library - the Restricted Section - ruining his eyes on the tiny, intricate words of ancient books on curses or some such. Or he spent the time imbibing lung cancer - that is, smoking. (Cigarettes and otherwise.)

Like right now. Barty was taking a break from the Library. It was getting stuffy in there with all of the anal Fifth and Seventh Years who couldn't seem to let go of the fact that they'd probably fail their exams anyway. The Ravenclaw was sitting down by the Lake. He didn't bother with a chair or anything, but laid spead-eagle on the grass, a cigarette clenched between his teeth as he stared up at the amber sky. The sun was dropping below the horizon and night was poised for her take over.

It was a little chilly in the spring air, but Barty didn't mind. His mind was drifting contentedly and he thought of nothing.

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hookm
2008-05-22 06:09 am UTC (link)

Yes, Daisy did homework - all of her homework, usually above and beyond what was even asked of her. Despite the fact that she did all this for all of her classes, Daisy never exactly set time aside for studying. Daisy found time for studying between the things she'd much rather do. This normally included going outside, interaction with friends, or listening to Kirley play guitar. In fact, she could often adapt these events to include her studying. However, considering the day was nearly over, she had finished all of her work for the next day.

Daisy found herself outside, one of her more favorite spots for studying. She had also found that she was getting chilly and just in time, she finished her last assigned chapter. The Hufflepuff girl curled up her legs and pulled herself up off of the ground, her fingers grasping around the edges of her textbook. When Daisy would wander outside, she wandered far and long, and so to wander back meant passing quite a bit of the Hogwarts grounds. Yes, this meant she had spotted, in the midst of her peaceful studying, the boy that flustered her more than any other human being (perhaps even more than her mother). Daisy's blood ran hot. She was no longer chilly.

Subconsciously stomping instead of stepping now, Daisy's grip tightened on her book as she got closer to the Ravenclaw boy. Because she had lost whatever stubborn competition they were playing out in her journal, Daisy couldn't help but make a quick pause as she passed him. It was only a moment that she paused. The wind teased the hem of her skirt and she glared at the boy. "No one else to pester, Barty?" She stood tall beside him, enjoying the momentary height advantage - he was on the ground, afterall.

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squatter
2008-05-22 06:33 am UTC (link)

Before he heard a voice, Barty knew someone was approaching. The ground under his ears began ringing and thumping with the footsteps. And then there was someone speaking to him - a girl. Barty hadn't even noticed his eyes closing. Huh. He opened an eye and peered upwards. Oh.

"Avvy, Daisy," he said, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and tapping ashes of its end. The boy smiled at the Hufflepuff, but made no other movements to stand or anything else. He was comfortable on the ground. "No. I seem to have run out of victims for the moment."

There was a book in her hand. Barty eyed it and smiled. Daisy always - always - did her homework. She was such a good girl. "Working on your brown-nosing, I see."

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hookm
2008-05-22 07:26 pm UTC (link)

Daisy didn't know why she did it - why did she even bother approaching him? It may have been her incessant belief in people. It may have been her boredom. It may have been her rare but definite character trait known as stubbornness. Maybe it was that she wanted to like Barty, to give him a second (or third or twelfth) chance at being a good person. Even worse yet, though, it may have been the fact that she had no reason. And this was what worried her. Perhaps she was as daft as he treated her...

Without greeting him back and with the most stern face she could muster (it consisted of knitted brows and a small pursing of her lips, but that was about it), Daisy looked him up and down with her blue eyes nearly red with fury, or as much fury as the small girl could hold. Daisy had nothing against smoking, but the fact that Barty was doing it so confidently made her feel as if she did have something against it. Of all of the girl's incessant needs (to believe in people, to please, to be liked), one of her less humble ones was her incessant need to respond to people. She always had a hard time ignoring people. Why? Most likely because her brothers had a knack for not hearing a word she said and making fun of any of the words they did care to catch. This may also tie into her need to almost always have the last word. However, she pulled herself together momentarily enough to ignore his comment and move on to his next.

Daisy could feel her nose wrinkle at every move Barty made and her body was nearly on complete defense mode whenever he opened his mouth. "Working on being an arse, I see," she shuffled her feet around a bit, she felt a bit funny standing so high above him in her skirt, "Good job, really. I'm really buying it. I think you've got it down pat."

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squatter
2008-05-23 01:12 am UTC (link)

Oh. Look at that! She was fighting back. Barty grinned and wiped his nose before sticking the cigarette back into his mouth. With a bit of a groan, he forced himself in a proper sitting position. He wasn't offended by insults. That was too bad. "Why, thank you. I have been practicing for 17 years. I'm glad to see something has come of it."

The boy stretched carelessly and looked back up at the Hufflepuff. She was shuffling a little. He laughed and ran a hand over his face, before gesturing at the patchy grass next to him. "Care for a seat, Ms. Hookum? We can watch the sun go down together."

So, over the past three or four years, Barty had occasionally overtly flirted with Daisy - sort of giving her a glimpse of his... ah, charms, so she'd know something was happening and off, but then he'd appear all innocent when she inquired. It was a hilarious game. For a split second, it might have appeared that he winked.

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hookm
2008-05-23 01:46 am UTC (link)

Daisy really must have been masochistic. Her blood began to boil and, confusingly enough, the edge of her lips began to curl in a smirk. Not a happy smirk, more of a smirk of ironic disbelief. She knew he wasn't going to be nice, why did she still expect he would, perhaps, apologise and offer her a nice civil conversation? Shaking her head, Daisy was still smirking, but all the muscles in her face were trying to stifle it. "Yes, congratulations. Are you going to move on to a new project? Or still with this whole being an arse deal?" She raised her eyebrows at him, "It's a bit worn."

As Barty readjusted, Daisy readjusted on her own feet. Daisy was frustrating herself now. His seemingly nice request should have pleased her, as that was all she was searching for. However, it only made her clutch her book tighter. "You don't want me to sit with you." And she believed this. She was convinced he disliked her and, therefore, being pleasant could not have been genuine.

Daisy was observant enough to catch any of Barty's obvious physical flirtations. She nearly stomped her foot on the ground, but didn't. She didn't find it at all fair that he act at all flirtatious with her. Sure, it may be a form of kindness, which again she was looking for, but she couldn't help but be suspicious of his motives. Firstly, because the reactions of flirting will usually please him and secondly, because frustrating her will also please him. Daisy could not win. Glaring down at the boy, she did not sit down. "You're not allowed to do that, you know..."

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squatter
2008-05-23 01:57 am UTC (link)

"Worn or no, I've come to enjoy it," he said casually, scratching the back of his head, cigarette caught in his teeth. The boy exhaled and squinted up at Daisy as she grabbed defensively at her book. She was tensing up. He smiled innocently.

"Of course I do. Or I wouldn't have said it." Honestly, he didn't care either way. But try and be nice and see what happens! Little girls threw tantrums and spat things back in your face. He covertly winked once again. "And I'm not allowed to do what?"

Grinning, Barty ground the butt of his cigarette out in the dirt. Fluidly and without missing a beat, he pulled the carton out of his robes and tapped it on the palm of his hand. He cocked an eyebrow.

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hookm
2008-05-23 02:38 am UTC (link)

Daisy was not poised enough to respond cleverly. She knew she was bad at come backs. You would think years as the middle child and the only daughter, that she would have learned ways to defend herself or, even better, offend someone who deserves it. Alas, she did not. In fact, her inability to greatly offend someone has most likely only become amplified. Then again, accuse her of something incorrectly or hurt a friend of hers, and she may just surprise you.

Again, she forced herself not to respond to every one of his comments. Still disbelieving, Daisy mustn't have had much else to do. Her eyes glanced around to see who else may have been present, but moreso just to waste time thinking, Daisy paused, looking back at the boy on the ground. She moved swiftly and a bit awkwardly, rustling the grass under her shoes, and sitting with her legs tucked closely to her chest, making sure to pat down and tug on her skirt.

Daisy did not look at Barty. She looked ahead or at the smothered cigarette butt on the ground. Squinting in the dissipating sunlight, Daisy kept her gaze ahead of her, "That," she motioned to the boy in general, "The flirty thing. That doesn't count as being nice. In fact, it can be classified as mean, teasing, and.. condescending." Hearing small movements to her right, Daisy glanced over at Barty, her eyebrows irking at him.

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squatter
2008-05-23 03:02 am UTC (link)

Like he was going to peek up her skirt to see her knickers. Barty smiled at Daisy's fumblings and turned his eyes to the moving waters of the Lake. He stuck a new cigarette between his teeth and lit the thing with his wand. Slowly, he exhaled - making a couple of smoke rings just for fun.

He caught Daisy looking over at him. "I've not a clue of what you're referring to."

It was fun to play with people. "And I'm never condescending. I don't know why you insist on kicking my Achilles' heel."

Barty held out the carton of cigarettes to Daisy and nodded towards them. She could have one if she wanted. It was nearly empty anyway.

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hookm
2008-05-23 03:21 am UTC (link)

Daisy had been trained by her brothers to be suspicious of most males. That is, if she could possibly truly be suspicious of anyone. Besides, she did truly believe that he didn't deserve to flirt, not because she found herself above par in any physical matter, but because flirting meant you liked the person, if even only a little. Barty was far too mean to her to be placed in that category. Daisy wrinkled her nose at most of what he did at this point. She was particularly brave today, apparently.

Daisy turned her head to completely face him now. "Please, Barty. I'm supposed to believe that?" She would have scoffed, but she wasn't that brave. She did, however punctuate the comment with a rolling of her eyes. Again, she had trouble responding, but she couldn't ignore this one and so she responded with a very clever, "Shut up, Barty. What are you even doing?"

If she hadn't already been looking at him, she would have turned almost offended towards his offer. Being as it was, though, she may not have been an avid smoker and she surely didn't buy them herself, she saw it was not as condescending as his last few comments and offers. Momentarily, she narrowed her eyes at him, only to poke her fingertips into the carton to pull a cigarette out. She blinked at Barty, deciding she was going to wait for him to light it. Raising her eyebrows at him, she set it between her lips and waited.

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squatter
2008-05-23 03:35 am UTC (link)

How did someone deserve to flirt with someone else? Barty ignored Daisy for a few moments, then looked over at her with a sly smile as she extracted one of the cigarettes.

Hufflepuffs smoked. The hilarity. He turned away, pocketing the carton, when he realized she was waiting for him. Expecting him to light it. Perfect. Grinning, Barty leaned in close to Daisy until the tip of his cigarette touched hers and it began to redden. He stayed for just an extra second and smiled widely.

The boy sat back, then spread himself back on the ground. He blew smoke up at the sky. "I never fancied you a smoker," said Barty, just to see what reactions he might be able to get.

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